Cleaning device for a longitudinal cutting device annd method for cleaning said cutting device

ABSTRACT

Please add the Abstract Of The Disclosure, as set forth on the separate accompanying sheet. That Abstract Of The Disclosure is essentially the same, in content, as the Abstract which is a part of the published PCT application WO 02/066212. No new matter is being added by the presentation of this Abstract Of The Disclosure.

The invention relates to a longitudinal cutting device for a web of material, and a method for cleaning, in accordance with the preambles of claims 1 or 12.

[0001] Longitudinal cutting devices of this type are employed, for example, downstream of a rotary printing press in order to cut a web of material, in particular a paper web which had been imprinted by the printing press, into a plurality of partial webs.

[0002] Particles in the form of fine slivers, or dust, are released in the course of cutting the material web, a part of which is removed from the longitudinal cutting device along with the web of material, but another portion could adhere to the roller, where it can interfere with the further cutting process.

[0003] WO 96/07490 describes the dust removal from a web of material with the aid of a high speed gas flow. It is assumed here that an efficient dust removal is only possible if a gas pressure of such a size is generated on the area from which dust is to be removed that the critical tension which is reversely proportional to the gas pressure is less than the electrostatic tension between the web of material and the particles stuck to it. This means that by generating a high pressure the discharge of the particles, and therefore the cancellation of the electrostatic attraction, are promoted.

[0004] Although it is conceivable to clean a web of material prior to or after longitudinal cutting by means of such a device, it is not suitable for removing particles adhering to the roller of the cutting device itself, which then again pass through the contact zone with the blade, for example a circular blade, with each revolution of the roller and can interfere with the cutting process.

[0005] JP 10-156706 AA shows a cutting device with a blower nozzle and a suction nozzle.

[0006] DE 631 858 C represents a cutting device with a suction box and a scoop.

[0007] CH 613 881 A5 discloses a mechanism for dust removal, wherein a blower nozzle is arranged in an inlet nip between a web and a roller, and a suction nozzle is arranged at the end of the area of the roller on which the loop is formed.

[0008] The object of the invention is based on providing a longitudinal cutting device for cutting a web of material into a plurality of partial webs, and a method for cleaning a longitudinal cutting device.

[0009] In accordance with the invention, this object is attained by the characteristics of claims 1 or 12.

[0010] The advantages to be obtained by means of the invention consist in that particles being released in the course of cutting the web of material and adhering to the surface of the roller of the longitudinal cutting device can be dependably removed before the surface can come again into contact with the web of material in the course of its rotation.

[0011] The invention can be employed in a particularly advantageous manner in connection with a longitudinal cutting device whose roller has a groove working together with the circular blade. With such a longitudinal cutting device a portion of the web of material is pushed into the groove during cutting, so that particles which are released at its edge can become stuck in the groove which then, unless they are removed, can close it over a period of time.

[0012] In order to concentrate the cleaning effect of the blower nozzle on this critical area, the blower nozzle is usefully pointed into the groove.

[0013] The inside width of the blower nozzle in the axial direction preferably corresponds to between 0.2 and 2 times the width of the groove. In this way the blower nozzle can produce a fluid stream exactly aimed on the groove, whose cleaning effect essentially becomes active in this critical area of the roller.

[0014] The blower nozzle is usefully oriented in such a way that it generates a fluid stream on the surface of the revolving roller which substantially extends opposite the direction of rotation of the roller. With such an orientation the effective flow speed to which the particles in the groove are subjected is additively composed of the web speed of the particles and the speed of the fluid stream.

[0015] To prevent the fluid stream from impinging on the web of material, a suction nozzle aimed on the surface of the roller is preferably provided. Its inside width preferably is twice as large as that of the blower nozzle, so that it can substantially completely suction off the fluid stream which is dispersed and spread on the surface of the roller.

[0016] In accordance with a first embodiment, the suction nozzle can be arranged upstream of the blower nozzle in relation to the direction of rotation of the roller for suctioning off the fluid stream, which is spread over the surface of the roller opposite to its direction of rotation. There is the alternate option that the mouth of the blower nozzle is completely surrounded by the suction nozzle, so that the suction nozzle can catch the fluid stream from the blower nozzle independently of the direction in which it is being spread over the surface of the roller.

[0017] To prevent the fluid stream directed against the surface from impinging on the web of material because of its straight propagation and to deflect it, it is preferably provided that the tangent line of the surface of the roller at the intersection of this surface with the main direction of blowing of the blower nozzle intersects with a wall of the suction nozzle facing away from the blower nozzle.

[0018] The longitudinal cutting device can furthermore be provided with a collection container for the particles aspirated by the suction nozzle. This makes it possible to let out the air freed of particles directly in the same room in which the longitudinal cutting device operates.

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.

[0020] Shown are in:

[0021]FIG. 1, a longitudinal cutting device in section,

[0022]FIG. 2, a longitudinal cutting device in a partial lateral view,

[0023]FIG. 3, an enlarged detail from FIG. 1,

[0024]FIG. 4, a section analogous to that in FIG. 3 through a longitudinal cutting device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

[0025] The longitudinal cutting device shown in axial section in FIG. 1 comprises a substantially cylindrical roller 01 on which a tightly stretched web of material 02, in this case a paper web, is deflected over approximately 180°. The roller 01 is rotatably seated between two lateral plates, not shown in FIG. 1, and is rotatingly driven at a speed matched to the speed of passage of the web of material 02.

[0026]FIG. 2 represents a partial lateral view of the longitudinal cutting device in FIG. 1. A groove 04 is formed in the surface 03 of the roller 01, into which a blade 06, for example a circular blade 06, dips with its cutting edge 07. The circular blade 06 is mounted on a shaft 08, which is only indicted in FIG. 2 by a dash-dotted line, and extends parallel with the roller 01. The cutting edge 07 of the circular blade 06 has a planar and a frusto-conical lateral face. During the cutting process, the planar lateral face lies at a distance of 0 to 0.1 mm from a lateral wall 09 of the groove 04, so that the web of material 02 is cut in the area of this lateral wall 09. Slivers being created in the course of this, as well as the portion of the web of material 02 located above the groove 04 are pushed into the groove 04 by the circular blade 06. In the course of this, particles which are released during cutting can become hung up in the groove 04 and can slowly block it during extensive cutting operations with the result that the distance, or contact, between the lateral wall of the cutting edge 07 and the lateral wall 09 of the groove 04 is hindered, or that the circular blade 06 is even pushed out of the groove 04.

[0027] To avoid this, a cleaning device for the groove 04, which comprises a blower nozzle 11 and a suction nozzle 12, is arranged vertically below the roller 01. The blower nozzle 11, the suction nozzle 12 and the roller 01 are arranged on the same side of the web of material 02. The web of material 02 forms a gap, i.e. a run-out gap or run-out nip, together with the surface 03 of the roller 01 downstream of the roller 01 when viewed in the conveying direction of the web of material 02. The blower nozzle 11 and the suction nozzle 12 are arranged in this run-out gap. The longitudinal axes of both nozzles 11, 12 extend in the plane defined by the groove 04 of the roller 01. In the plan view of FIG. 2 the suction nozzle 12 is drawn transparent in order to be able to also show the blower nozzle 11. The blower nozzle 11 is aimed in such a way that it directs a fluid stream, preferably a stream of compressed air, against the surface 03 at an angle a between 30 and 65° in respect to the normal surface line. It is achieved by this selection of the angle α that the blown air stream is propagated on the surface 03 substantially opposite the direction of movement of the surface 03, so that particles adhering to the roller 01 are subjected to a flow speed increased by the speed of rotation of the roller 01. On the other hand, because of orienting the blown air stream against the surface 03, rather than tangentially with it, it is achieved that a back pressure is formed at the point of impingement of the blown air stream, which itself in turn causes locally increased flow speeds. The blower nozzle 11 is operated at an overpressure of approximately 0.4 bar.

[0028] A suction pump (not represented in the drawing figure), which provides the underpressure necessary for operation, is connected to the suction nozzle 12. Furthermore, a collection container for particles carried along by the suction air stream, for example a filter bag or a collection chamber of an electrostatic or cyclone precipitator, is arranged in an underpressure line connecting the suction nozzle 12 and the suction pump, or is connected downstream of the suction pump. In this way the filtered suction air stream can be directly discharged in the vicinity of the longitudinal cutting device.

[0029] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the inside width l of the blower nozzle 11, which is here embodied in a tube shape, is substantially larger than the inside width of the groove 04, so that the blower air stream issuing from the mouth of the blower nozzle 12 at a distance of a few millimeters from the groove 04 enters the groove 04 for the larger part and is thus guided in it without substantial portions of the blown air stream being distributed in the axial direction on both sides of the groove 04 on the surface 03.

[0030] As can be easily seen in FIG. 1 by means of the arrows 13 representing the course of the blown air stream, the suction nozzle 12 is used for aspirating this blown air stream off the roller 01 before it impinges on the cut web of material 02. Uncontrolled beating movements of the web of material 02 are prevented in this way. The clear cross section of the suction nozzle 12 is substantially greater than that of the blower nozzle 11.

[0031] As FIG. 2 shows, the inside width L in particular of the suction nozzle 12 is more than twice as large as the inside width l of the blower nozzle 11 in order to assure that even portions of the blown air stream which have been scattered in the axial direction on the surface 03 are substantially aspirated off and do not cause fluttering movements of the cut web of material 02. The suction nozzle 12 is operated at an underpressure of approximately 0.25 bar.

[0032]FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the blower nozzle 12 at the roller 01 in section of a scale which is enlarged in comparison with FIG. 1. The main blowing direction of the blower nozzle 11 which, in the case of a cylindrical blower nozzle 11 corresponds to its longitudinal axis 14, intersects the surface 03 of the roller 01 at the impact point P. The angle α of the longitudinal axis 14 in respect to the n16 of the roller 01 at the impact point P is approximately 45°. The blown air stream spreads on the surface 03 of the roller 01 substantially along a tangential line 17 at the impact point P in the direction toward the mouth 18 of the suction nozzle 12. In accordance with the circumferential shape of the roller 01, the edge of the mouth 18 is curved in the shape of a segment of a circle, so that the distance between the mouth 18 and the surface 03 is substantially identical all over. In this case a wall 19 of the suction nozzle 12 facing the cut web of material 02 is extended upward to such a degree that the tangent line 17 intersects the wall 19. Therefore no straight path exists from the point P to the web of material 02 on which the blown air stream could reach the web of material with being braked.

[0033]FIG. 4 shows a modification of the cleaning device described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 in a plan view analogous to that in FIG. 3. In this variation the mouth 18 of the suction nozzle 12 covers an even larger area of the circumference of the roller 01 than in the case represented in FIG. 3, and the outlet opening from the blower nozzle 11 is located inside the suction nozzle 12. With this arrangement the suction nozzle 12 is enabled to aspirate off even those portions of the blown air stream which spread, starting from the impact point P, in the rotating direction of the roller 01, i.e. to the right in FIG. 4.

[0034] List of Reference Symbols

[0035]01 Roller

[0036]02 Web of Material

[0037]03 Surface

[0038]04 Groove

[0039]05 -

[0040]06 Blade, circular blade

[0041]07 Cutting edge

[0042]08 Shaft

[0043]09 Lateral wall

[0044]10 -

[0045]11 Blower nozzle

[0046]12 Suction nozzle

[0047]13 Arrow

[0048]14 Longitudinal axis

[0049]15 -

[0050]16 Normal surface line

[0051]17 Tangential line

[0052]18 Mouth

[0053]19 Wall

[0054] P Impact point

[0055] α Alpha

[0056] l Inside width of the blower nozzle (11)

[0057] L Inside width of the suction nozzle (12) 

1. A longitudinal cutting device for cutting a web of material (02), having a roller (01) supporting the web of material (02) and a blade (06) operating together with the roller (01), wherein a suction nozzle (12) is arranged, characterized in that a blower nozzle (11) is arranged and that the blower nozzle (11) and the suction nozzle (12) are arranged in the area of the run-out gap between the web of material (02) and the roller (01).
 2. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the blower nozzle (11) and the suction nozzle (12) are directed against a surface (03) of the roller (01).
 3. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the roller (01) has a groove (04) operating together with the blade (06), and that the blower nozzle (11) is oriented toward the groove (04).
 4. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the blower nozzle (11) has an inside width (l) in the axial direction of the roller (01) which lies between 0.2 to 2 times of the width of the groove (04).
 5. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller (01) is rotatable corresponding to a feed movement of the web of material (02), and that the blower nozzle (11) is oriented in a way for generating a fluid stream on the surface (03) which extends mainly opposite the direction of rotation of the roller (01).
 6. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the inside width (L) of the suction nozzle (12) in the axial direction of the roller (01) is at least twice as large as the inside width (l) of the blower nozzle (11).
 7. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the suction roller (11) is arranged upstream of the blower nozzle (12) in respect to the direction of rotation of the roller.
 8. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the mouth of the blower nozzle (11) is surrounded by the suction nozzle (12).
 9. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that a tangential line (17) of the surface (03) at the intersection (P) of the surface (03) with the main blowing direction of the blower nozzle (11) intersects a wall (19) of the suction nozzle (11) facing away from the blower nozzle (11).
 10. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that a collection container for particles suctioned off by the suction nozzle (12) is arranged.
 11. The longitudinal cutting device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid stream is an air stream.
 12. A method for cleaning a longitudinal cutting device having a roller (01) supporting a web of material (02) to be cut, characterized in that a fluid stream is blown against an area of the surface (03) of the roller (01), which faces away from the web of material (02) and that the fluid stream flows over the surface (03) of the roller (01) opposite the movement direction of the latter.
 13. The method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the fluid stream is aspirated off the surface (03) of the roller (01) before it impinges on the web of material (02).
 14. The method in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the aspirated-off fluid stream is freed from particles. 